Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom. Psalm 51:6 AMP
When David wrote Psalm 51, it was after the confrontation of the prophet Nathan. David had sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and ordering the murder of her husband. Although his deeds were unseen by many, God knew exactly what he had done.
A rebuke from the prophet definitely hurt, leaving David with a choice. He could humbly go before the Lord to repent, or proudly defend his actions. David chose to repent.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10), he pleaded to the Lord.
David knew that he needed his heart clean. He wanted the right spirit. He also knew that the only way he could proceed with the Lord was if he became transparent before Him, not withholding anything from the Almighty, but allowing God access to the most painful and sensitive issues of his past and present. “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom” (Psalm51:6).
There is wisdom hidden in the painful areas of our lives. These are the areas that we usually hide. Areas of shame. Areas where we know aren’t pretty. These are the exact areas that God wants to heal. He desires we tell Him the truth of our pain and shame. He desires transparency. When we process our wounds with the Lord, we will find that He is ready and willing to speak His wisdom to us. In fact, only He can impart the kind of wisdom that can heal us from our folly.
And when we hear Him speak, we realize we can stand again. We realize that our mess just became the perfect foundation for a God-size message that can free not just ourselves, but also others.
No amount of good works will heal the hidden parts of us. Sometimes, our good works even become a camouflage for a heart desperate for mending! What God looks for is not sacrifice. What He looks for is a broken heart. David says, “My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
We are all in need of the salvation of the Lord. This is not just salvation from our sins, but salvation from ourselves! “The heart is deceitful above all things and it is [a]extremely sick; who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
God can. And so, we need the Lord to invade our hearts.
Let’s give the Lord the key to each hidden room in our hearts. This includes dismantling all the hidden attics, hidden basements, and hidden staircases. Let our whole selves be transparent before our Creator.
Janina Marie Rivera is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine, a teacher of world literature, and a student of the Bible. She enjoys reflecting on life’s curve balls and plateaus. She resides in the Philippines, the country known for people who smile a lot.
